Ldn to cardiff

Sat 30 April to Mon 2 May 2016 (bank holiday monday) - ride from London to Cardiff, details below...

3-day ride from London to Cardiff over 2nd May 2016 bank holiday

This ride runs from Sat 30th April to Mon 2nd May 2016 (bank holiday monday). There are no entry fees for this ride, just turn up and ride. Other than the route it is entirely 'do-it-yourself'. You will need a touring bike, camping and cooking equipment. We will be 'wild camping' following the leave no trace principles.

The itinerary is shown below - it's quite a tough ride, averaging 120km (75 miles) per day, with over 2000m of climbing on the last day.

On day 3 (80km in) we will stop at Ffos-y-fran coal mine to take photos/tweet and generally show our support for climate activists who are attempting to shut down the coal mine. Clearly mining and burning coal in the UK is not compatible with our ambition of keeping below 2 degrees C of warming. Low-carbon technologies can deliver but not without the incumbent technologies making room for them.

Itinerary

After clicking "I'm in", go into the route and click the 'favourite' icon (the little star) so that it's saved to your profile. To test it's worked, on the Strava app on your phone, go to 'record' and then 'load route'.

Itinerary notes

Day 1:

We will be meeting at 8am on Sat 30th April 2016 outside the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen in Hyde Park, ready for an 8.30am departure.

There will be no registration, briefing or ride leaders - this is a do-it-yourself ride, so find some people who are a similar speed to you and ride with them.

Please DON'T RIDE IN GROUPS BIGGER THAN 4 IN LONDON as you'll piss people off and are much more likely to cause an accident. If you're in a group bigger than 4 then just peel off.

Some people will be stopping for lunch 50km into the day, 100m off the route at the Jolly Woodman.

Once we get into Oxford we'll stop at the Isis Farmhouse at the 104km mark, just on the side of the river after you go over the lock. For those starting the ride in Oxford, aim to be at the Isis Farmhouse from 6pm for a pint before heading up Hurst Hill to set up camp and cook/eat up there. Eat dinner at the Isis Farmhouse if you don't want to cook up on Hurst Hill where we'll be 'wild' camping.

Before you leave the pub make sure all water bottles are full. Then head up to Hurst Hill (you'll have to push your bikes for a bit) and you'll find a beautiful clearing in the wood, ready for us to pitch tents and gather round the fire. Note we do NOT have permission to camp there so we have to be ultra respectful - no music and we'll leave no trace.

Day 2:

Leave when you want and ride with who you want, just not in a big group. On open roads please don't ride in groups bigger than 8.

There's no lunch or dinner stop scheduled so just do as you like, most people will cook when they get to the place where we'll camp on the banks of the River Wye. Hint: there will be no shops near the site on the River Wye so make sure you stop to buy food to cook etc in the town before we get there at Ross-on-Wye (119km mark). Also a JetBoil and something easy to cook will make you're life easier. Again we do NOT have permission to camp there so we have to be ultra respectful - no music, probably no open fire, and again make sure we leave no trace. We haven't even assessed if this is a good place to camp, just it looks suitable from the map... if it turns out to be no good we'll just have to scarper and find somewhere more suitable.

Day 3:

A tough day today (>2000m of climbing) warrants for an early (8am!?) start

At 80km in we will stop at Ffos-y-fran coal mine to take photos/tweet and generally show our support for climate activists who are attempting to shut down the coal mine. Clearly mining and burning coal in the UK is not compatible with our ambition of keeping below 2 degrees C of warming. Low-carbon technologies can deliver but not without the incumbent technologies making room for them.

Then it's on to Cardiff train station where we'll jump on various trains home.

How do I follow the route?

Step 1: get a smart phone, download the Strava app, and sign-up to the various legs. Then on each route, click the 'favourite' icon (the little star) so that it's saved to your profile. Check this has worked by following step 2 below. Alternatively export the GPX files and load onto your Garmin.

Step 2: click record and then 'load route'. You should find the appropriate route, if not you'll need to go back to the route and favourite it as per Step 1.

Step 3: MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, buy a battery booster for your phone like this as otherwise you'll be out of juice as Strava is pretty energy intensive when following routes on your phone. Also bring an extension lead and chargers so you can charge up while stopping at cafes etc. Hint: turn off data usage to preserve battery life, the GPS will work just fine.

How do I sign-up?

Step 1 - check you comply with the Event Rules:1. You have your own cycle insurance and understand this is a do-it-yourself ride. The route has not been tested, there is no medical or mechanical support, you're at the mercy of other road users, the elements, land-owners etc etc2. You have read and are comfortable with the conditions set out in Rules section.

Step 2 - book a train ticket back home (and reserve a space for your bike too) from Cardiff on the afternoon/evening of Mon 2nd MayWhich train you take is up to you but you're much better to book sooner rather than later.

Step 3 - click "I'm in" for the various legs on Strava and make sure you 'favourite' each leg so you can follow the routes (see above re: 'how do I follow the route?').

Step 4 - turn up at the start of Day 1, or anywhere along the way (e.g. 6pm at the Isis Farmhouse on Day 1), fully prepared and ready for an adventure with people like you.